Miss Divyanshu Kamari, a Peer Educator of Laxmi Balika Samuh, is a 17 years old adolescent girl from UKSI Village of Chewara Block, Sheikhpura district.  UKSI is a remote village deprived and backward in respect of different Human development indicators. There was complete lack of any collective of young people/adolescent which could be utilized to increase awareness on determinants of adolescent health and to promote life skills among them. Although there has been institutions of women functional at the village level functional as credit and thrift groups, adolescents’ inquisitiveness remained unquenched. Integrated Development Foundation started implementing Project IMPETUS with the support of HDFC Bank Parivartan in 15 villages of Chewara block in Sheikhpura district since April 2021. Adolescent girls were mobilised and organised around Kishori Samuh in all intervention villages to foster regular discussion, dissemination and orientation on health, sanitation and nutrition issues. Laxmi Balika Samuh was organised in the village in the month of July 2021 involving 18 adolescent girls.
Benefits: In UKSI village, came as a support system for these adolescent girls who were in need of Scientific Information and it proved itself as community knowledge interface satisfying their queries. Orientation was organised at the group level to equip them about the functioning of the group. The meeting is being organised fortnightly and sharing of experiences are taking place at the group level. This has provided insight to adolescents’ health issues and also to clear out myths & misconceptions.

Divyanshu opines …….

‘’ We all peers meet only while going to school or out for some specific work. Sharing and exchange of views was not possible as there was no formal community platform or interface available. Even in Aganwadi, group meetings were not being organised with adolescent girls. There was complete vacuum as far as individual counselling and access to scientific information is concerned. Holistic Rural Development Program resolved this problem by providing a platform and organised adolescent girls of the village christening Laxmi Balika Samuh. Now regular discussions are being held among peers. Village Coordinators and field workers also participate in the fortnightly meeting and organise theme meetings on different topics and provide systematic information. Above all, we can summon group meetings any time as per need.”